Lac des Bois in Outaouais: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac des Bois is one of the Outaouais listings for Quebec. This is lake country bush country. Around 54 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. With 5.9 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. It ranks high for size among our Outaouais listings. Some 28 km away sits Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel, the nearest settlement. Beyond it, Ripon at 29 km and Saint-André-Avellin at 35 km. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Bois

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Outaouais include pumpkinseed, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rainbow smelt and Iowa darter. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Read Lac des Bois for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 18°C, while January sits near -14°C. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Plan any trip to Lac des Bois around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Petit lac du Canard at 1.5 km is the sensible second choice. Nothing on Lac des Bois should be assumed from this page alone.